Starcodes horoscopes for September 1 – 7, 2017

by Heather Roan-Robbins

(All times are MDT)

Drain the swamp can means something different this week. We’ll be draining flooded landscapes, dealing with soggy emotions, and then dealing with the misunderstandings, problems, schemes, and misinformation revealed as the water and smoke clear when Mercury turns direct on Tuesday.

Labor Day weekend is theoretically a time to rest from our labors and indulge in summer’s glimmer once more before the work season kicks in. But it is a diligent Virgo holiday, all about work, lack of it, or who and what we work for. Many people take this time off from regular work to tend their own household projects rather than bask in summer’s fading glow. But this year a tricky astrological pattern can leave us as stirred and muddy as Houston backwaters; Mercury retrogrades back to meet Mars at the last degree of Leo, the degree of our recent solar eclipse. Think of it as a supersized, energized retrograde Mercury, with emotions and energy swirling in place but as stalled in forward motion as a recalcitrant hurricane.

We can do the work in front of us, and we can find the eye of any storm and rest there. Holding still furthers. Transportation may feel stalled, as can our desire to carry something through unless it’s something that should’ve been done before. Memories of the past swirl through our psyche and call us to find new honesty so we can do things differently this time. But if we’ve recently made a major change, this swirling energy can help us adjust, like a dog spinning in its nest before it lies down.

This busy Mars-Mercury conjunction is also energized by a trine from inventive Uranus, and we could see some truly heroic communal disaster relief. Mercury is often related to the wind, to air, so this line-up does not bode a quiet weather week. Swirling, winds can be a problem over water and fire alike.

Each one of us can choose where we want to put our own heroic energy. It’s not time to run ahead with big projects, but it is time to deal efficiently with what’s already on our plate. Our transportation may feel stalled, so can our desire to carry through a plan, unless it’s something we should’ve done a long time ago.

The Sun conjuncts watery Neptune on Labor Day, leaving us potentially emotionally waterlogged and uncertain about the next step, but can feed our compassionate imagination. Mercury turns direct and Mars enters Virgo on September 5, and we pivot towards the autumn, though momentum only picks up on Thursday as the Moon enters active Aries, and really kicks into gear next week.

Friday, September 1: Drama stays in the spotlight as Mercury retrogrades back to Leo, our personal stories need attention even as we can feel glued to the stories of the world’s woes. Midday, as the Moon conjuncts Pluto, we can feel an urgency to resolve problems, but conflicting plans and an uncertain chain of authority can make this a challenge. Don’t try to change other’s behavior just to soothe personal anxiety. We may not be able to get all the things that we want to get done before the holiday weekend, but a good faith effort to catch up, not push forward, will help us relax tonight as the Moon squares Jupiter.

Saturday, September 2: Assess what needs to be accomplished as energizing Mars trines Uranus and inspires us to be heroes, or at least tackle our life and create our own adventures. We need something to do, some short-term project to achieve, or may get irritable, but let everyone find their own way to it, as no one taking orders well. Roll with unsettled change of plans midmorning, but take the time to work together with others or weave community tonight as the Moon enters Aquarius.

Sunday, September 3: It’s easier to be critical than it is to admit our own guilt or frustration, or even our own needs, as Mercury conjuncts Mars at the eclipse point. Stop projecting the problem on to others, start the self-assessment and ask what can be done in a good way. Don’t be too attached personal plans, respect an unexpected agenda that demands time midday. Rest where possible; let the conversation meander and healing words arise tonight.

Mercury conjuncts Mars 3:37 AM, Moon opposes Venus 9:48 AM,

Monday, September 4: Picnics work, so does wandering in the forest by a stream, but everything else may feel like wading through the fog as the Sun opposes Neptune and dissolves certainty but increases our imagination and empathy. We may feel the need for a moment out of time, and may be tempted to drink too much or escape. If the combination leaves us feeling passive or unsure about what we can do, let’s accept that we can’t see very far ahead at the moment, embrace the compassion and go to the well of creativity and intuition. Lean into camaraderie this afternoon, and then create a safe place to be sensitive tonight as the Moon enters Pisces. We need to catch up with unprocessed emotions. If we notice fears we didn’t know we had, let’s let them flow through us and out, like draining floodwaters. The extent of water damage may become clear, or liquids become problematical.

Tuesday, September 5: Today marks a turning point: Mercury turns direct and Mars leaves Leo and enters industrious Virgo on this first day back to work after Labor Day weekend. Use this day wisely, not to push, but to re-orient, sense and assess. Hidden problems or misunderstandings are revealed, but this lets us straighten them out. Emotions run high tide tonight under the sensitive Full Moon in Pisces just after midnight.

Wednesday, September 6: Emotions flow this morning, but then waters begin to clear. Prepare, check in with one another and get on the same page. Review class notes. Hear what’s been going on and catch up with the team. Fix what is broken, repair communications. Take a fresh assessment of the situation post retrograde.

Thursday, September 7: Now the momentum begins to build. Next week we want to look farther ahead and put long-term plans in place, but today we can begin to look down that road and feel a new enthusiasm. A good day to launch a website or make fresh contacts. Open a new subject at school. Deal with impatience with action, but still be in the present rather than try to run ahead. Stay aware of feelings, remember that if we honor feelings, we’re actually more efficient